Chair bed



J. D. BELL April 29, 1941 CHAIR, BED

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Feb. 13, 1936 INVENTOR, hi.

J. D. BELL April 29, 1941.

01mm BED Original Filed Feb. 13, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORn,

Patented Apr. 29, 1941 warren sraras v mm OFFICE Substitute-d for abandoned application Serial No. 63,686, February 13, 1936. This application April 19,1937, Serial No. 137,860

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in chair beds, and has as its principal object the provision of a chair or couch, which may be readily converted into a comfortable bed, and so arranged that the chair may be reformed with ease,

This application is filed in place of my' previous application, Serial Number 63,686, filed February 13, 1936, and embodies the same subject-matter.

It is proposed to provide a chair or couch with an adjustable back, which is arranged for movement into various restful and comfortable positions. The back is adapted to be lowered into alignment with the seat to form a bed.

A further object resides in the provision of an auxiliary bed section, normally housed beneath the seat of the chair in order to be concealed from View and at the same time provides a compact piece of furniture. Upon lowering the back into horizontal alignment with the chair'seat, this auxiliary bed section is raised into alignment with the lowered back and theseat to complete a bed. i

It will be noted as the specification proceeds that I utilize the movement of the back for raising the auxiliary bed section into active position. Upon return movement of the back to its normal upright position, the auxiliary bed section is again moved to concealment beneath the seat of the chair or couch,

Moreover, I make use of detachable arms for the chair, which may be removed, if desired, to give access to the bed from the side thereof. All of the sleeping surfaces are suitably upholstered and padded over a yielding undersurface in order to contribute to the comfort of the bed.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification continues, and the novel features will be set forth in the claims hereto annexed.

For a better understanding of my invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my chair after the back has been reversed end for end and abutted against the seat for use as a bed;

Figure 2 a perspective view with the auxiliary bed section interposed between the lowered back and the seat, parts being broken away;

Figure 3 a a side elevation of the arrangement shown in Figure l, with parts in section;

Figure 4 a perspective view illustrating the back as being attached to a stool or bench;

Figure 5 a transverse section through the chair with the back in its normal position, parts being shown in elevation;

Figure 6 a side elevation of a modified form, partly in section;

Figure '7 an illustration of the form shown in Figure 6 after the parts have been moved into a bed-forming position; and

Figure 8 an enlarged transverse section taken through the central portion of Figure 2, parts being shown in elevation.

Although I have shown only the preferred forms of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claimshereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a supporting frame I having a pair of side arms 2 secured thereto in spaced relation. A seat 3 is arranged between the side arms, and a back 4 cooperates therewith to form a comfortable seat when the back is presented in upright or slightly reclined position.

The back 4 may be lowered in the manner hereinafter described to form with the seat two cooperating bed sections. When in a position for use as abed, one end of the back is supported'by legs 5 resting on the floor therebeneath, while the other end is supported, within the frame I as will appear as the specification continues.

For holding the back 4 in substantially upright position I make use of pins 6, that project laterally from the back, and which may be engaged in any one ofa number of notches formed in the member I as illustrated in Figure 5. The notched member 1 permits the back 4 to be adjusted in its inclination. v

Upon lifting the back 4 the pins 6 may be disengaged from the member I and the back lowered into horizontal alignment with the seat 3 and in spaced relation therewith in the manner illustrated in Figure 8.

An auxiliary bed section 9 is normally housed beneath the seat 3, (see Figure 5), and this auxiliary bed section is adapted to be raised above its normal level and into the space defined between the lowered back 4 and the seat 3 as shown in Figure 8.

The lower end of the back 4 is pivotally attached to the auxiliary bed section as at 8, and a pin [0 is provided to arrest downward movement of the bed section 9 as will appear by reference to Figure 8.

The confronting inner faces of the side arms 2 have guide rails 12 secured thereto. Slide pins II project laterally from the auxiliary bed section, and upon lifting the back 4 to disengage the pins 6 from the notched member 1 the slide pins are caused to move along the upper inclined section of the guide rails.

In Figure 8 I have illustrated the back 4 after it has been lowered into horizontal alignment with the seat 3 and the auxiliary bed section 9 raised into active position. It will be noted that one of the pins H rests upon the inclined portions [2 of the guide rails, while the other pins I I bear against the horizontally disposed portions l3 of the guide rails.

The ends M of the guide rails l2 are turned downwardly as shown in Figure 8. It will be noted from this view that the left-hand pin II tends to slide down along the incline I2 and this causes the other pin H to be forced into the angle defined between the horizontal section I3 and the end M of the guide rails. This forms a support for one end of the lowered back 4. Swing plate I? hooks behind the guide plate l2 and holds the back 4 against the seat 3.

In order to again move the auxiliary bed section 9 into a position beneath the seat 3, the back 4 must first be partially raised. This resuits in swinging the auxiliary bed section into a position in which the pins H are free to slide downwardly along the guide rails. The pins are then engaged in saddle bearings as at iii to support the lower end of the back 3, while the upper end of the latter is supported by the pins 6 and the notched member 1, as will be readily understood by reference to Figure 5.

A bedding box IE is provided beneath the seat 3, and the latter may be hinged as at Hi to permit the seat to be moved to give access to the bedding box. It is preferable in most cases to invert the seat 3 before changing the back 4 from its horizontal position to its normally upright position. Inverting of the seat is not necessary when lifting the back to a position for use as in a chaise lounge.

In Figure l I show hooks 3|, which are fastened to the side arms 2, and the free ends of these hooks are looped for engagement over the extensions of the pivot pins 8. This construction allows the back 4 to be held in angular relationship with respect to the seat 3.

It will be noted in Figure 4 that I provide openings IS in the rear surface of the back 4 adapted to receive round legs therein to provide a support for one end of the back. In this same view I have illustrated latch members 20, which are designed for engagement over members 2! for holding the back in a reclined position.

Casters I9 may be provided on the bottom end of the back 4 to facilitate the movement of the back over the surface of the floor.

In Figures 6 and 7, which show a modified form, links 22 are pivoted to the side arms 2 as at 23 at the lower ends of the links. The upper ends of the links 22, one of which is provided on each side of the back 4, are interconnected by means of a rod 25. The latter runs through an elongated slot 24 from one side of the back to the other. The links 22 and the rod 25 form a yoke.

Links 26 are also connected to the rod 25 at one end, while their opposite ends are pivoted to links 21 as at 28. The links 21 are pivotally secured to the seat at 25 and to the auxiliary bed section at 36.

When it is desired to convert this modified form from a chair to a bed as shown in Figures 6 and 7 respectively, the back 4 is pulled slightly to the rear and upwardly. This causes the rod 25 of the links 22 to pull rearwardly on the links 26, which in turn pull the lower ends of the, links 21 to the rear.

Upon lowering the back 4 into horizontal alignment with the seat 3, the auxiliary bed section 9 is raised above its normal level into the space formed between the lowered back and the seat to form the bed. In folding the bed into a chair the reverse movement takes place.

Particular attention is called to the fact that the back 4 is used in both forms of my invention as an operating means for raising and lowering the auxiliary bed section.

I claim:

1. A chair bed comprising a supporting frame having a seat thereon, a back carried by the sup porting frame and movable into a reclining po sition and into alignment with the seat, a section on the back normally housed beneath the seat, and means operated by the reclining of the back for withdrawing the section from under the seat without moving the seat from its normal position and for raising the section above its normal'level and into alignment with the aligned back and seat to form a bed.

2. A chair bed comprising a supporting frame having a seat thereon, a back carried by the supporting frame and movable into a reclining position and into alignment with the seat, a section on the back normally housed beneath the seat, and means for withdrawing the section from under the seat without moving the seat from its normal position and for raising the section above its normal level and into alignment with the aligned back and seat to form a bed.

3. A chair bed comprising a supporting frame having a seat, a back carried by the supporting frame and movable into a reclining position and into alignment with the seat, an auxiliary bed section normally housed beneath the seat, and means operated by the reclining of the back for withdrawing the auxiliary bed section from underneath the seat without moving the seat from its normal position and for raising the auxiliary bed section into alignment with the aligned back and seat to form a bed.

4. A chair bed comprising a supporting frame having a seat thereon, a back for the seat made to be lowered into horizontal alignment with the seat and in spaced relation therewith, an auxiliary bed section normally housed beneath the seat, and means for raising the auxiliary bed section above its normal level without moving the seat from its normal position and into the space defined between the lowered back and the seat to form a bed.

5. A chair bed comprising a supporting frame having a seat thereon, a back for the seat made to be lowered into horizontal alignment with the seat and in spaced relation therewith, an auxiliary bed section normally housed beneath the seat, and means operated by the lowering of the back for raising the auxiliary bed section above its normal level without moving the seat from its normal position and into the space defined bettwaen the lowered back and the seat to form a e 6. In a device of the character described, a frame having a seat spaced from the floor, two bed sections pivotally connected together and movable relative to the frame, one of said sections being adapted to be housed beneath the seat wholly disconnected from the latter and the other section adapted to be positioned substantially vertical at the rear of the seat to form a back therefor, means mounting the back-forming section on the frame for movement between substantially upright and horizontal positions, and means actuated by the lowering of the back section for moving the two sections into alinement with each other and into alinement with the seat to form a bed.

7. In a device of the character described, a main frame having spaced side arms, a padded back section movably mounted relative to the main frame and adapted to be disposed between the side arms for movement into substantially upright and reclining positions, a second padded section pivotally connected to the lower end of the back section to extend forwardly therefrom with its front edge free, an inclined runway within the main frame paralleling the side arms and extending on an incline to substantially an outer margin of the main frame, and bearing means engageable with the runway and coacting therewith to form a support on which the second section may be moved and guided to an elevated position of rest in response to movement imparted to the lower end of the back section, the bearing means and runway coasting to support the second section in said elevated position of rest with one edge thereof projecting beyond the main frame.

8. In a device of the character described, a main frame having spaced side arms, a padded back section movably mounted relative to the main frame and adapted to be slanted rearwardly relative to the main frame and being disposed between the side arms for movement into substantially upright and reclining positions, a second padded section pivotally connected to the lower end of the back section to extend forwardly therefrom with its front edge free, an inclined runway within the main frame paralleling the side arms and extending on an incline to substantially an outer margin of the main frame, and bearing connections between the runway andthe second section intermediate the front and rear edges of the latter on which the second section may be moved and guided to an elevated position of rest in response to movement imparted to the lower end of the back section, the bearing connections and runway coacting to support the second section in said elevated position of rest with one edge thereof projecting beyond the main frame.

9. In a device of the character described, a supporting frame, a padded member, a back member carried by the frame and made to be lowered into horizontal alinement with the padded member and in spaced relation therewith, an auxiliary bed section connected to the lower end of the back member and normally housed in the lower part of the frame and wholly disconnected from the padded member, and means actuated by the lowering of the back member for raising the auxiliary bed section above its normal level and into the space defined between the lowered back member and the padded member to form, a bed.

JOSEPH D. BELL. 

